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There is no better way to celebrate Christmas than by practicing your treasured family traditions. And one of the best ways to capture that magical spirit of tradition is through food.

And the beauty of our food traditions is that they vary so much from state-to-state, and country-to-country.

Today, let’s take a tasty journey across the globe and see what people around the world are eating for Christmas dinner.

A Taste of Home:

Finland:

A Finnish Christmas dinner is often served-up buffet style in a tradition called joulupöytä, which literally translates to “Christmas table.” You’ll find ham, fish, potato casseroles and rosolli, a colorful salad made with diced beets, potatoes, carrots, apples and cream.r tamale-making party, in the days leading up to the event.

Iceland:

Hangikjot is a favorite for Icelandic Christmas dinner celebrations. The thin-sliced meat is boiled and served with a cream sauce. You might want to know why it tastes so good…it’s made from lamb, mutton or horse meat that’s traditionally smoked over dried sheep’s dung!

Greece:

It’s common for Greek families to celebrate Christmas dinner with roasted lamb as their main dish. In northern regions of the country, though, you’ll find yiaprakia (brined pork stuffed cabbage rolls) on the table. On Christmas Eve, it’s a Greek tradition to make Christopsomo, a rustic sweetbread filled with raisins, nuts, cardamom and cloves. The bread is decorated with a cross and turned into a delicious centerpiece on Christmas Day.

France:

The French prefer to savor seafood during the Christmas holiday. Common dishes include oysters, prawns and lobster. For dessert, a bûche de Noël (or Yule log) is served.

Germany:

The Germans dine on roasted duck, goose or rabbit as their main course for Christmas dinner. On the side are favorites like sausage stuffing, potato dumplings and red cabbage. The country’s most-loved holiday dessert is Stollen, a long, flat sweetened bread that’s similar to a fruit cake.

Poland:

For many Polish families, Christmas Eve dinner is the big event. The celebration takes place over a 12-course meal that includes classic Polish dishes like borscht, mushroom soup, pierogi and poppyseed cake.

Vienna:

The traditional Austrian Christmas menu features fried carp. In recent years, though, roast turkey has grown popular. But when it comes to dessert, Austrian families still stick to the classics. Sachertorte, a chocolate-and-apricot flavored cake that originated in Vienna, is commonly served as a holiday treat.

Lithuania:

Hosting the traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dinner—known as kūčios—is a huge undertaking. It can take as long as a week to prepare this dairy-free, meatless dinner! You’ll only find cold dishes on the table, including herring, bread, mushrooms and other vegetables.

Japan:

Believe it or not, 3.6 million Japanese citizens celebrate Christmas with a bucket of crispy fried chicken from KFC. Thanks to an extremely successful marketing campaign in the ’70s, folks have flocked to the fast-food giant for “party buckets” on Christmas.

Argentina:

Argentinians celebrate Christmas with a variety of dishes, but they almost always include the Italian classic vitel toné. It’s a cold dish featuring thinly-sliced veal and capers in a creamy tuna sauce, which is super refreshing during the Southern Hemisphere’s balmy December weather.

Armenia:

Like other Eastern Orthodox countries, Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The traditional Armenian Christmas dinner features ghapama, a special pumpkin dish that’s only eaten on Christmas and other special occasions. The pumpkin is stuffed with rice, raisins, nuts and honey before being roasted to perfection.

Whatever your food tradition is, enjoy your celebration this Christmas.